Sandringham pheasant shortage may cancel King Charles’ beloved holiday tradition

King Charles is said to be “livid” that he won’t exactly get Christmas cheer this year.

The Sun recently reported there is a potential shortage of pheasants at the monarch’s Sandringham Estate, which could affect the chances of a full shooting calendar this winter. It is known as one of the monarch’s favorite pastimes during the holiday season.

“King Charles III is livid, frustrated and disappointed, reflecting both his deep personal attachment to the cherished family tradition and his broader commitment to his royal heritage,” British royal expert Hilary Fordwich claimed to Fox News Digital.

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“He’s also annoyed that the mishap reflects rather poorly on the management of Sandringham, which he inherited from his mother, Queen Elizabeth II,” she explained.

“The shoot gathers his extended royal family and guests, reinforcing bonds while upholding a long-standing aristocratic tradition. The root of the problem is that Charles has always opposed importing birds from elsewhere, preferring to maintain the estate’s game population. The eco-friendly approach has failed.”

According to the outlet, the number of birds currently available has dropped. This may force the 76-year-old, who is battling an undisclosed form of cancer, to cancel the traditional Boxing Day shoot, which is described as a central part of the royal family’s holiday plans.

Fox News Digital reached out to Buckingham Palace for comment.

“Allegedly, King Charles is disappointed that one of his favorite Christmas family traditions may not take place this year,” British broadcaster and photographer Helena Chard told Fox News Digital. “The Sandringham shoot is questionable due to a lack of Sandringham pheasants on the estate. It seems the family will have to bond, enjoy and celebrate over another hobby, or possibly clay pigeon shoots are the way forward.”

“King Charles may have felt a fleeting healthy upset, but in light of recent times, with the slimmed-down monarchy, cancer battles and more… the monarchy has found their typical ways changing as they are forced to be flexible,” she shared.

The Sun reported that a long-serving gamekeeper, who is responsible for managing the bird population on the estate, is said to have been let go in a recent staff shake-up, resulting in the shortage.

“It was a total cock-up,” a source claimed to the outlet. “No birds, no bang, just red faces. The king wasn’t having it.”

According to Chard, while the king may be let down, he isn’t opposed to change. The monarch is said to be adjusting to a new routine as he continues his weekly cancer treatments and remains devoted to full-time royal duties.

“He pushes for change on occasion,” said Chard. “He broke royal tradition with his last Christmas speech, recorded at the Fitzrovia Chapel, rather than a royal residence. It was there that he chose to reflect on the deeper things that connect us all — community, health, inclusivity and love.”

Chard also pointed out that the shortage may prompt the king to review the shooting tradition, which has come under fire from animal rights groups.

Royal expert Ian Pelham Turner is hopeful the change of plans will allow the king to prioritize one thing — making amends with his younger son, Prince Harry. The Duke of Sussex and his wife Meghan Markle stepped back as senior royals in 2020, citing the unbearable intrusions of the British press and a lack of support from the palace. They reside in California.

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Since the couple’s royal exit, they have aired their grievances in interviews and podcasts, as well as Harry’s explosive 2023 memoir, “Spare.” Sources close to the prince, 40, previously claimed to People magazine that the king won’t respond to his phone calls and letters.

“Perhaps he could bring the royal clan together, lock the door, knock all their heads together and unite the entire family, including Harry and Meghan,” Turner told Fox News Digital. “This may be feathers flying in a different way than a grouse shoot, but if they really believe in the Christian principles, they would try, in my view. It is what Britain expects.”

People magazine reported that Charles supports traditional practices and opposes importing birds from elsewhere for the customary rural pastime. However, the outlet reported that maintaining game birds in the area has been “challenging.”

People also reported that the king’s grandson, Prince George, was taken on his first grouse-hunting expedition at Balmoral, the royal family’s Scottish estate.

Royal author Tom Quinn claimed in his new book, “Yes Ma’am — The Secret Life of Royal Servants,” that Kate Middleton isn’t allowing her three young children, including George, 11, to participate in “blooding.” This longtime ritual calls for members of the royal family to smear blood on their faces from their first kill during fox or stag hunting.

Fox News Digital reached out to Kensington Palace for comment.

In his 2023 book “Gilded Youth,” Quinn claimed that William also wanted his family to get with the times.

“‘William is struggling with the traditional pastimes of the royal family as they become ever more unpopular with the public,” he wrote.

“William loves shooting — a love he shares with his father — but he is also conscious that the tide is now moving against what many people now refer to as blood sports (the royals prefer to refer to them as field sports). But are they suitable for George, Charlotte and Louis?”

Quinn also wrote that while William, 42, was “keen” to get the children into shooting, he also noted that “few” expected Kate to “allow” her children to take part in the blooding tradition.

Harry previously detailed his experience with the tradition in his memoir, “Spare.” The 40-year-old recalled how his hunting guide, Sandy, pressed his face into the belly wound of a stag he shot during a blooding ritual on the grounds of Balmoral Castle.

“He placed a hand gently behind my neck and… pushed my head inside the carcass,” the Duke of Sussex wrote, as quoted by the New York Post.

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“I tried to pull away, but Sandy pushed me deeper,” the prince wrote. “I was shocked by his insane strength. And by the infernal smell. My breakfast jumped up from my stomach. After a minute, I couldn’t smell anything, because I couldn’t breathe. My nose and mouth were full of blood, guts and a deep, upsetting warmth.”

Harry wrote that he “felt swelling pride” that he had “been good to that stag” by killing it with a single shot so it wouldn’t feel pain. He said it was a “show of respect for the slain” and “an act of communion by the slayer.”

The outlet noted that the book’s revelations prompted animal rights organization PETA to condemn the father of two for his graphic descriptions.

Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine, previously reported that Princess Diana wasn’t a fan of game shooting, which has been one of the royal family’s favorite activities for centuries. Seward claimed that the late Princess of Wales didn’t even like her sons being photographed holding guns.

Seward claimed Diana reportedly told William and Harry, “Remember, there’s always someone in a high-rise flat who doesn’t want to see you shoot a Bambi,” as quoted by the U.K.’s Express.

Still, the boys loved hunting, and Diana used to jokingly call them her “Killer Wales.”

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Ken Wharfe, Diana’s former royal protection officer, also claimed that Diana was disgusted by hunting.

“The royal shooting obsession was something Princess Diana found repugnant,” Wharfe said, as quoted by the outlet. “Requiring little or no skill, royal pheasant shoots are a pre-planned carnage of wildlife, bred specifically for slaughter.”